Celtics Rumors: Malcolm Brogdon Has 'Significant' Injury That Will Prevent Any Trade

Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon is reportedly dealing with a "health issue" that will likely make it impossible for the team to trade him this offseason.

Appearing Thursday on Get Up, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said the following:

"Malcolm Brogdon, who was the key piece going from Boston to the Los Angeles Clippers in this [canceled] deal, Brogdon has a health issue, a health issue that as I understand, is so significant, that not only can the Celtics not do this trade, there's probably no Malcolm Brogdon trade that they can do in the short term."

The Celtics reportedly planned to trade Brogdon this offseason before agreeing to send guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies late Wednesday night.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Celtics' "clear intent" was originally to trade Brogdon and keep the guard trio of Smart, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.

Instead, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN's Tim Bontemps), the Celtics agreed to a three-team trade with the Grizzlies and Washington Wizards, sending Smart to Memphis and bringing center Kristaps Porziņģis to Boston from Washington.

Boston also swapped the No. 35 overall pick for the No. 25 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft with Memphis and received the Golden State Warriors' top-four protected 2024 first-round pick. The Celtics moved Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala to Washington as well, and the Wizards received guard Tyus Jones from Memphis.

According to Wojnarowski, the trade happened only after a prior three-team trade involving Boston, Washington and the Los Angeles Clippers fell apart.

The Celtics would have still received Porziņģis in that deal, but they would have instead sent Brogdon to the Clippers.

Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported Thursday that the Clippers backed out of the trade due to "not having time to complete a physical exam." Himmelsbach added that it isn't yet known if Brogdon will require surgery on a forearm injury suffered during the playoffs, but if he does, he is expected to be ready for the start of next season.

Boston acquired the 30-year-old Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers last offseason for a 2023 first-round pick and several depth players.

Despite having to share backcourt playing time with Smart, White and Pritchard, Brogdon was a key player for Boston last season, coming off the bench in all 67 games he appeared in, and averaging 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 three-pointers made, while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and a career-best 44.4 percent from beyond the arc.

For his efforts, Brogdon won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, adding to a trophy case that already included the 2016-17 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

While Brogdon's production dipped last season compared to the previous two seasons in Indiana when he combined to average 20.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game, he played a key role in Boston being the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals nonetheless.

Brogdon did seem to be a different player during the postseason, though, as his averages dropped to 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 three-pointers made, and he only made 41.8 percent of his shots.

Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported that Brogdon was dealing with "golfer's elbow soreness" during the second round of the playoffs before partially tearing a tendon in his right arm during the Eastern Conference Finals. It is unclear if that is the "health issue" Windhorst referenced.

Even with Brogdon reportedly ailing and Smart no longer in the fold, it can still be argued that the Celtics have the best overall roster in the NBA.

With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Porziņģis leading the way, plus Al Horford, Robert Williams, White, Pritchard and Brogdon lending support, perhaps no other team in the league can match that level of talent and depth.